Common Cause is urging the Florida Legislature to stop its attempts to deny Floridians’ first amendment rights after a court granted a preliminary injunction on the governor’s executive order labeling some groups as “domestic terrorists,” but the Florida Senate nonetheless moved forward bills that would enable further persecution.

The court order on Wednesday stated that the Governor’s executive order was choosing “political posturing over the First Amendment.” Despite the court order, the Florida Senate approved House Bill 1471, which would create a scheme for Florida’s Executive Branch to declare organizations as “domestic terrorists.” The bill now goes back to the House. Common Cause is pressuring lawmakers to abandon HB 1471. 

“The First Amendment protects the right to disagree with the government and every Florida lawmaker should work to protect that freedom,” said Amy Keith, Common Cause Florida Executive Director. “This bill would give extraordinary power to the Governor and Cabinet to secretly declare organizations they disagree with as ‘domestic terrorists,’ violating Floridians’ rights to free speech and free association. This bill is a facade of a process that fails to put any real guardrails on the Governor’s political posturing. HB 1471 is un-American and needs to die immediately.”